More cases of flu in NL but the strains are not more dangerous

The number of people in the Netherlands with flu-like symptoms is rising faster than last year, but experts say the viruses currently circulating do not appear to be more dangerous than usual, RTL Nieuws said on Thursday.

Last week, 40 out of every 100,000 residents visited their GP with flu symptoms, according to figures from research institute Nivel. The increase is particularly noticeable among children aged up to 14.

The rise is steeper than at the same point last year, said Nivel researcher Mariëtte Hooiveld, but it is not unprecedented. “In 2023 the increase started even earlier, and in 2022 levels were roughly comparable to what we see now,” she said.

In England, a mutated form of the H3N2 virus has led to what some have dubbed a “super flu”. While that label suggests something more serious, experts stress that the variant is mainly more contagious, not more severe.

In the Netherlands, two different flu viruses are currently circulating, Hooiveld said. “We’re not seeing anything particularly unusual,” she told RTL NIeuws. “If this were a variant against which the flu jab offered poor protection, you would expect many more older people to fall ill. That isn’t the case.”

Immunologist Ger Rijkers said it is inevitable the British virus will reach the Netherlands. “Viruses don’t respect borders,” he said. He added that vaccination uptake among risk groups in the Netherlands is relatively good, which should limit the impact.